My Pet Snape Theory (Long)

[rosered2318]

No: HPFGUIDX 130172

This is my first post because the list elves told me to.  I still 
feel I am a little inexperienced but....what can you do.  Let's leave 
a little space for people who have the preview option on their 
messages, in case they consider it a spoiler....




Anyway - my pet Snape theory goes like this.  I take it for granted 
that Snape was DD's informant that Voldy was after the Potters (and I 
think most everybody else does - please don't bombard me if you don't 
=).  However, this, to me, is not enough reason for Dumbledore to 
trust Snape....he pulled a turncoat which indicates that he is likely 
to do it again.  Especially considering the countless possible 
motivations for becoming a spy in the first place.   Personally, I am 
highly skeptical of Snape's actions - I believe he is always on his 
own side.  My first instinct was to believe that Snape became a white 
hat because he heard the prophecy or at least realized his side was 
going to lose.  But what makes Dumbledore so sure that this time, 
Snape is rolling with the white hats permanently?  It would have to 
be something pretty big to counteract Snape's most basic character 
traits.  


I don't want to argue Snape's motivations for his change of heart 
because I don't feel we have been left any such clues.  But I do 
think we have been left clues about where Snape fits into the Potter 
Puzzle - and it is much larger than just telling Dumbledore the 
Potters were in danger.  It ties up some very loose ends with several 
different puzzles as well... and it goes a little something like 
this...

We learned in OOtP that only the Secret Keeper can grant access to 
the place of hiding (when Harry reads DD note).  In fact, it is such 
a powerful spell that Harry needed to have the meaning of the note 
sink in before Grimmauld Place actually materialized in front of him 
(he looked left at 11, then right at 13, but it didn't appear until 
Lupin said "Think about what you've just read, Harry.").  This has 
other implications, as well, in that the secret cannot be divulged by 
someone who already knows it (one of the forward guard could have 
told him, otherwise).  I am also operating under the (rather large) 
assumption that the only person who can break the spell is someone 
who already knows the secret.  

So what does this have to do with that Halloween night?  Well, think 
about it this way...Pettigrew was the only person who could let 
anybody know where the Potters were.  Hagrid delivered baby Harry to 
his Aunt and Uncle.  Ummmm....is it just me or there is a huge non-
sequitor here?  Somehow the news got out, and only Pettigrew could 
let people know there was even news to tell.  So the question is, who 
did he run to?  Who can he trust?  Enter Snape - the only person in 
the Death Eaters he knows well (and possible knows of) because he 
spent so much time with the people that tortured him in school.  He 
tells Snape what has happened, then tells Snape the Secret.  

This is how the white hats know that the Potter's have been attacked 
and killed, and baby Harry is still alive.  How else could they have 
found out?  It wasn't going to be on the news because nobody could 
see the place!  Nobody could find it even if they knew where it was 
until the secret was told and the information was processed.  The 
only person we are aware of that was in a position to get the Secret 
told to him was Snape.  

So now, Snape has a choice.  He can act like nothing has happened 
which is in his own best interest, or he can save baby Harry.  
Whatever caused his change of heart, he had to be the one to pull 
baby Harry out of the flaming wreckage because he couldn't tell 
anyone where Harry was, and anyone else who knew would have no 
interest in saving him.  This would be a pretty big reason for 
Dumbledore to trust Snape, and answers most of the Halloween night 
questions nicely.  

I also don't think Snape is The spy in Voldemort's inner circle.  I 
think he is A spy, but not The spy.  But that is for another post...

RoseRed